'No racist incidents but our fire service remains under-represented for its background population’
Devon & Somerset fire service say they have not recorded a single incident of racist abuse against a staff member in recent years.
Bosses from the force, who admit the service is ‘under-represented for its background population’, have tonight been giving evidence at the ongoing Torbay Council-led ‘racism review’ which is asking what action public bodies can take.
Figures show BAME communities are more likely nationally to have a prosecution under fire safety laws – which often relate to food businesses.
The service also confirmed it now lists fire safety advice in multiple languages after research in Devon revealed some communities – not necessarily BAME – did not know to call 999 in an emergency.
Audrey Gilding, who oversees diversity and inclusion, told the meeting there are fewer BAME ‘role models’ compared with other emergency services such as police - but work is ongoing locally to connect with different communities.
The service has 83 fire stations and 1,800 staff serving a population of 1.7 million across Somerset and Devon, as well as 400,000 visitors each Summer.
Fire bosses claim figures show across Devon 5.3 per cent identify as being from a BAME community.
Across the fire service 2.6 per cent identified as being from a BAME community in September 2020 – although that’s treated as ‘white other and/or not British’.
Of the 250 support staff, who work in areas such as estates or finance, 4.9 per cent identify as BAME.
In the control staff, i.e the 35 people who take 999 calls and other similar roles, 5.2 per cent identify as BAME.
Bosses revealed a project was planned before the pandemic, due to start in March, based in Exeter to encourage firefighters to engage with different local communities and then share best practice with colleagues.
Panel chair Jermaine Atiya-Alla asked why a national campaign in 2018 to recruit a more diverse fire service started with 3.9 per cent and only increased to 4.3 a year later.
He was told the failure to bolster diversity locally was partly due to staffing reductions and rules requiring on-call staff to live within five minutes of the fire station – making recruitment more difficult.
The service said it does not put a ‘postcode limitation’ on where it recruits from, unlike the fire service in Birmingham.
Audrey Gilding said the service aimed to create a ‘workplace that ensured all employees are valued and treated with dignity and respect’ with ‘equal and fair outcomes’ – and will tailor what we do to take account of diversity’.
Emma Wilshaw, diversity and inclusion officer, admitted the service historically suffered: “A lack of engaging with various groups in the community. Some of it is our own doing. Some of it is we’re not sure how to do it.”
Devon & Somerset has now dropped the formal qualification request on applications – deciding to test applicants themselves. Bosses say it helps those who studied abroad to apply for positions, as they may struggle to get foreign qualifications recognised in the UK.
Questions were asked about why the service does not actively recruit from further afield – highlighting the South West’s desirable quality of life.
Ms Gilding says they do offer ‘moving allowances’.
The meeting heard another fire service did not have adequate infrastructure to support its diverse workforce, after a successful recruitment campaign - and suffered a high turnover of staff.
Yaz Murfin, who founded the Devon & Somerset service’s multi-cultural staff support group, said it is still ‘relatively new’ but is trying to make a mark.
She said the fire service contributed to Black History Month by ‘highlighting black and mixed staff’ it employed and was ‘able to share those stories’ – which she said: “We’ve never done that as a service, as far as I know, before.”
The service confirmed it is working on a ‘positive action plan’ with targeted social media and offering support with the recruitment process – including with swimming, which Ms Gilding said was ‘a skill which isn’t owned by certain groups in the community’.
In future more recruitment posters are planned to be placed into specific businesses with diverse community use – to encourage more people to apply for roles.
Area Manager Wayne Rawlins revealed the diversity agenda is ‘now being pushed from the top of the organisation’ – revealing one question he was asked at a recent job interview was ‘how did the Black Lives Matter event affect you?’
He said it showed the senior team wanted to understand the impact the movement had on potential ‘managers and leaders of the organisation’.
The force revealed it is not allowed to set a recruitment BAME percentage - as potential recruits might feel as though they were not hired on merit, with Ms Gilding adding: “We recruit those people who are right for the job - but we do need those people who are right for the job to apply.”
For more about the ongoing Torbay Council review click here